


The Long Journey Home

by I_Am_Just_Betty



Category: The Streets of San Francisco
Genre: Angst, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-08-20
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:14:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25949431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_Am_Just_Betty/pseuds/I_Am_Just_Betty
Summary: Words were said in anger; a friendship was torn apart. Can one forgive the other and make the long journey home?
Comments: 5
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter 1

After scribbling his name to the bottom of the report, Steve Keller slowly closed the file and pushed it aside as his eyes wandered to the phone in front of him. Running his hand over his head, he forced himself to resist the urge to pick it up and dial the number he knew by heart. What was done was done and the only real choice he had left was to cut all ties and move on. He reminded himself that he had to leave the past behind him and not look back. It was just too painful to revisit.

"Hey partner, stop day dreamin' 'bout that hot date you have tonight, we’ve got work to do." Benjie Melendez slapped Steve 's shoulder as he sailed past his new partner’s desk. "That ten we gave Rollings yesterday really paid off, he just gave me a call."

Jumping up from his chair, Steve snagged his coat before he hurried to catch up with his partner, "Does he know where Touman is?"

"Better than that, kiddo, he says Touman's about to make a big sale."

"Where?" Steve asked as he followed Benjie out of the office and they skirted around the officers and civilians in the foyer as they headed towards the doors leading outside.

"The old warehouse down near the docks," Benjie told him as they ran out of the station and across the parking lot to their car.

Opening the door, Steve barely had enough time to slide in and close the door as Benjie gunned the engine, spinning the tires on the slick pavement as the car lurched forward and they sped out of the police parking lot, turning left to head towards the docks.

"I have a couple of the uniform guys there already with eyes on the place. Told them to stay put and not to move in until we get there." Benjie grinned as Steve grabbed the dash in an attempt to stop himself from sliding across the seat as he took the corner a little too fast.

o.o.o.o.o

Sam Ratherson looked up as the familiar faded olive green LTD skidded almost sideways through the gates and pulled up in a billowing cloud of dust close to his squad car. He shook his head in amusement, instantly knowing who was in the driver's seat. He wasn't sure who had been insane enough to have given Benjie Melendez his license, but he did know that he, personally, would never be crazy enough to ride with him. Trotting across to the LTD as Benjie and Steve climbed out, he nodded towards the edge of the building where his partner was watching the abandoned warehouse just around the corner. "We spotted Touman when he arrived, he went straight inside, two other men joined him about ten minutes ago. "

"Did you recognize either of them?" the older Narcotics officer asked as they hurried across to join Sam's partner before Steve took a quick peek around the corner.

"No, both were strangers, they were dressed in flashy suits and ties," Sam answered before tilting his head towards Steve and smirking, "just like ya partner wore when he worked Stone and Homicide. Maybe they even buy their suits from the same fancy tailor."

"Hopefully they will give Steve some decent fashion tips when we arrest them, maybe even give him some advice about some of those suits and ties he used to wear to work." Benjie teased Steve, lightly squeezing the younger man's shoulder as he stepped around him and glanced at the warehouse before he stepped back and grew serious. "Sam, you and Chris take the back, Steve and I will go through the front. Give us a couple of minutes to get into position and then move in."

"Okay Benj," the patrol officer nodded, slapping his own partner on the shoulder before they ran, crouched low, over across to the back of the warehouse they had been watching.

Turning back to Steve as he unholstered his gun, Benjie grinned excitedly, "Ready, kiddo?"

"Ready," Steve nodded, unholstering his own weapon, as he followed his partner around to the front of the old abandoned warehouse.

o.o.o.o.o

"I want you and Bill to go back and interview Cooke's neighbors, maybe one of them will remember something they forgot to tell us yesterday," Mike ordered Lee as he handed the young Homicide inspector back the manila folder he had been perusing.

"Okay, Mike," Lee answered as he turned and hurried out of the office, side- stepping around Olsen who had suddenly appeared in the doorway.

"Rudy?" Mike frowned as he looked up at Homicide captain, surprised to see Rudy standing there. The sympathetic look on Rudy’s face warned Mike that something had happened.

"Mike, I have some bad news. I just received a phone call from Roberts in Narcotics, he thought I …you…would want to know," Rudy answered quietly as he stepped inside the office and pushed the door closed behind him before turning back to face the man sitting at the desk who was watching him anxiously. "It's Steve, Mike, apparently, he was involved in some sort of a raid on a warehouse down on the docks. Roberts told me that it appears that he and his partner may have been set-up, they walked right into an ambush. Steve took a round to the stomach, he's been taken straight into surgery, Roberts said it…it doesn't sound good."

Jumping up from his desk, Mike turned and grabbed his coat and hat before he turned and ran towards the door, demanding as he passed his captain. "Why didn't Roberts contact me directly? I'm listed as Steve 's next-of-kin."

"Not anymore, Steve must have changed who was listed as his next-of-kin when he transferred across to Narcotics. He made it pretty clear when he left Homicide that any friendship between the two of you was over, remember?"

"It was just the anger talking," Mike answered quietly, his chest tightening with guilt and regret over what had happened between them as he opened the door, "We both said some things to each other in the heat of the moment, things that neither of us really meant."

"Are you sure?" Rudy frowned, aware that he was walking on eggshells as he added, "Because Steve transferring across to Narcotics told me that he took whatever happened between the two of you to heart."


	2. Chapter 2

"What the hell happened, Benjie?" Tom Roberts demanded, glaring at his inspector before glancing over the younger man's shoulder as he watched the elevator doors open and Mike Stone step out. The Homicide lieutenant quickly looked around before he turned and hurried towards them.

"I told you Tom, it had to be a set-up." Benjie answered defensively, running a hand down his face, leaving it resting on his chin, as he looked down the corridor towards the closed operating room doors. Looking back at his boss, he shrugged, "They had to know that we were coming because Steve was hit as soon as we went through the door." He paused and stared at Mike as Mike hurried across to join them.

"Any word yet on, Steve?" Mike asked anxiously.

"Took a round to the stomach, Mike, he lost a lot of blood. It didn't look good when they took him into surgery, he was losing blood as fast as they were pumping it into him." The Narcotics captain told Mike before he looked at the upset man standing beside him and began to hastily make the introductions, "Mike, this is Inspector Benjie Melendez, Keller's partner, Benjie, this is Lieutenant Stone, Homicide."

"I know who he is." Benjie interrupted his boss, his obvious disdain towards Mike evident in his voice, as he looked the Homicide lieutenant up and down, "What's he doing here?"

"Keller was Stone’s partner in Homicide,” Tom frowned, unhappy with the younger man's rude tone. "I knew he would want to be informed that Steve has been wounded."

"Why would he?" Benjie snarled as he turned back to his captain.

"I might not be Steve 's partner at the moment, son, but I am still his friend." Mike answered, casting a quick glance at Roberts before returning his attention back to the young insolent Narcotics inspector standing in front of him, as he tried to keep his temper at the young man’s rudeness under control.

"That's not the way Keller tells it." Melendez retorted as he turned back to glare at Mike, "So why don't we just cut out the crap, _Sir_ , we both know you're the reason why the kid transferred across from Homicide to us. And from little bits and pieces I have managed to wrangle out of Steve about why he left Homicide, I also know there is no friendship left between the two of you. So why don't you tell me again, _Lieutenant_ , just what the Hell are you doing here now?"

"Melendez that's enough!" Roberts warned his upset office as he grabbed the younger man's arm and turned him forcibly towards the chairs lined against the wall as he ordered sternly, "You have the choice of sitting down over there and cooling off while we wait for word on Keller's condition or you can get back to the station and write out a full report of what happened today. Your choice, hotshot!"

Shrugging loose of his captain's tight hold, Benjie lifted his hands in a silent show of surrender before he turned and stalked away.

"So, what happened, Tom?" Mike asked quietly, pushing the guilt of what had happened between him and Steve away as he glanced at Benjie, who had walked across to the closed operating room doors to stare through the doors' windows, before he looked back at the Narcotics captain. "Rudy said Steve was shot during a raid on a warehouse down on the docks."

"I haven't got the full details of what happened yet, Mike, but from the little I do know, Melendez and Keller received a tip about a suspect they’ve been chasing for the last three weeks was involved in a big buy that was about to go down on the docks. The tip must have been some sort of a set-up because when they moved in to make the arrest the suspects were waiting for them. Keller was hit before they even got through the door. He was bleeding bad, if Melendez hadn't decided not to wait for an ambulance and got him to the hospital himself, I have no doubts that Keller would have died too." Tom rubbed the back of his neck and looked at the floor as he quietly confessed, “Keller is my third officer to be taken down in similar types of raids in the last six months.”

“Third?” Mike frowned before he remembered hearing about the deaths of the other two Narcotics officers, both taken down during drug raids.

Roberts nodded, “But Steve was lucky, he made it to the hospital, my two other guys, Adam Rodriguez and Brian Stanton both died at the scene. First Rodriguez, then Stanton and now Keller, all taken out in raids after getting tips of buys involving their suspects were going down. Someone's setting up my guys and taking them out one by one, Mike, and I don't have a clue who it is or even why." Tom sighed as the doors to the operating room opened and the surgeon stepped out.

Hurrying across with Tom to where the surgeon stood talking to Melendez, Mike asked anxiously, "How is he, Doc?"

"Inspector Keller's condition is critical but stable, we will be transferring him to the ICU shortly. The bullet tore through his spleen causing massive hemorrhaging before lodging in his stomach. We were forced to remove his spleen to control the bleeding and have repaired the tear in his stomach. We will be observing him closely for the next forty-eight hours in the ICU for any complications caused by the massive blood loss or signs of any infection, such as peritonitis, caused by the stomach wound. We have commenced him on antibiotics and are replacing the blood he has lost. But he’s young and strong, he has a good chance of a full recovery.”

“What about losing his spleen, Doc? I mean…”

“What sort of affects will it have on his life and his career as a cop?” the doctor finished Benjie’s question.

The Narcotics officer nodded.

“If there is one organ that if you need to have removed, the spleen is the best one for it to be. It's the one organ that you can live without and the one organ you can lose, and it won’t affect your ability to be a cop or live a normal, active live. But that's not saying that Inspector Keller is not going to have to be mindful that he no longer has it, without his spleen, he will be more prone to infections and catching any colds or illnesses going around.” 

"When can we see him?" Mike asked anxiously.

"Not until tomorrow, he needs to rest. Now, if you will excuse me, I have other patients to see."

Watching the doctor walk away, Melendez angrily spun around and stepped in front of Mike. "I told you before, Stone, Steve doesn't want anything to do with you! So why don't you run back to Homicide where you belong, keep your nose out of our business and leave him alone."

"And _I_ told you, Melendez, enough! I will talk to you later about your attitude if you are lucky enough and Lieutenant Stone does not bring you up on charges before I get back to the station, because if I was him, I would!" Roberts growled as he stepped in between the two men, physically pushing Melendez away as he glared at his inspector, "Now get back to the station and get your report about what happened today written. I want it signed and on my desk by the time I get back from talking with the Chief. Now get going!"

Shaking his head as Melendez spun on his heel and stormed away, Tom looked at Mike apologetically and said, "Sorry about that Mike, he's normally a good cop, but he's become a bit protective of Keller. You know how partners can be."

"Yeah." Mike sighed, aware of just how protective he was of Steve, himself. In the last two years since he had partnered with the younger man, Steve had become much more than his partner, Steve had become his closet friend, despite the tension between them at the moment. He was just grateful that he still had the chance to make things right between them again. He knew he owed Steve an apology for what had happened between them, and all he could hope was Steve would listen long enough to hear it.

"Seeing Keller get shot right in front of him today has really rattled him, I'm afraid. I know they haven't been partners long but they have become quite good friends." Mike blinked as he realized the Narcotics captain was still talking to him, and he nodded as Tom promised, "I promise I will have a few stern words with him when I get back to the station, but I would really appreciate it if you decide not to bring him up on charges."

Slapping the other man on the shoulder, Mike forced a small smile, "Don't be too hard on him, Tom, he's just upset over what happened to Steve today. We've both been there ourselves."

"Thanks Mike." Tom nodded, allowing a breath of relief to escaped as they walked towards the elevator.

"Tom, I was wondering, who were the uniformed officers involved in today's raid?"

The Narcotics captain frowned as he hit the button for the elevator before he glanced at Steve, "Ratherson and Martins, why?"

Mike shrugged as the elevator doors slid open and they stepped inside. "I just wanted to thank them for helping Melendez save Steve 's life. It means a lot to me."

"What happened between you and Keller anyway, Mike? I know that he was your partner, but I also thought that two of you were close friends. Now Keller changes the subject every time your name is mentioned. I asked him, but he refused to talk about it, just said he wanted out of Homicide." Tom frowned as he hit the button to take them down to the lobby.

Mike looked down as a ripple of guilt stabbed through his soul as he remembered the last angry words he had spoken to Steve in his office that night. "It was just a stupid misunderstanding, one that should never have happened." he sighed as the elevator door slid open and he stepped outside.

o.o.o.o.o

Walking into Bryant Street, Mike spotted the two officers he wanted to talk to, and he hurried to catch up with them as they headed towards the squad room and probably roll call. "Officer Ratherson, Officer Martins, can I speak with you for a moment?" he asked as he reached the two men.

"Something wrong, Sir?" Chris Martins asked nervously, recognizing the Homicide lieutenant instantly.

"No." Mike quickly reassured the two officers as he placed his hands on their backs and gently steered them away from the squad room door and to an area where they could speak more privately. "I just wanted to thank the two of you for helping Inspector Melendez save Inspector Keller’s life today. If it wasn't for your quick actions in getting Steve to the hospital…" Mike paused, unable to vocalize what had been his worst fears after he had found out Steve had been shot.

"How is Steve …I mean Inspector Keller?"

"He's going to be sore for a while, but the doctors say he should make a full recovery." Mike smiled, the relief he felt was written clearly on his face.

"Thank God!" Sam murmured, as he looked at his partner and admitted softly, "I really thought we had lost him in the car."

"I was wondering, just what happened at the warehouse today?" Mike frowned, noticing the two officers glance nervously at each other as both hesitated before answering.

"I'm not sure just if we can tell you much more than what is in our reports and what Inspector Melendez and Inspector Keller can tell you." Sam shrugged, "But we were ordered to watch the warehouse until Inspectors Melendez and Keller got there and then to join them when they moved in. We saw the suspect and two other men arrive and enter the warehouse just before Melendez and Keller arrived."

"Benjie had us cover the back while he and Steve took the front but when we tried to go in the back door was locked and we couldn't gain access." Chris chimed in before rushing on, "As soon as we heard the shots we raced around to the front but by the time we got there it was all over, Steve was on the ground outside and Benjie was leaning over him, trying to stop the bleeding."

"What about the three suspects?" Mike asked, again noticing the furtive glances the two partners traded with each other before Chris reluctantly answered.

"They were gone."

"Gone? How?" 

"Not sure, sir." Sam shrugged, "I… I guess they must have escaped out the back while after we headed around the front of the building and while Benjie was trying to get Steve to safety. All I can tell you is by the time we made it around the front, the only ones there were Steve and Benjie and when we searched the warehouse, it was empty."

"What happened then?" Mike frowned, suspecting he was not getting totally honest answers to his questions.

"Well, Steve, I mean Inspector Keller was bleeding heavily and Benjie was worried he would bleed out before an ambulance could get there, so Benjie got us to put Steve into the back of their car. I guess after what happened to Brian Stanton, Benjie wasn't going to take another chance of losing a partner again. So, Benjie got in the back with Steve to keep the pressure on the wound while I drove his car. We managed to get Steve to the hospital in record time."

"Melendez has lost another partner?" Mike’s frown deepened as a sick feeling settled in the pit of his stomach.

"Yeah, Brian Stanton." Chris answered quietly, uncertain of what the Lieutenant was fishing for, "Benjie and Brian were partners until Brian was killed during a raid the two of them carried out on the docks about five months ago. Brian was hit as they entered the building. He died in Benjie's arms before the ambulance arrived.”

“You were there?”

“We were both there.” Chris nodded, tilting his head towards his partner as he answered, “We're usually the backup team for the Narcotics officers when they go out on raids.”

“Benjie took it hard, real hard, especially after the same thing happened to Adam less than a month before." Sam told Mike softly.

"Melendez was friends with Rodriquez?" The sick feeling in the pit of Mike’s stomach increased.

"Yeah, Benjie, Brian and Adam often worked cases together." Chris explained.

"Benjie took it hard when Adam was killed during a big raid with the rest of the Narcotics team earlier this year. Adam was the first guy to enter the house and was killed going in. Then a month later, he lost Brian in the same way, and now Steve …" Sam shrugged as Chris nudged him and nodded towards the squad room before he rushed on, "Sorry Sir, but it's roll call, we’re both doing a double shift and we really have to get in there. Sarge is already annoyed with us for letting the suspects escape earlier today, he will have us walking our patrol tonight if we're late for roll call."

“When you see Steve next, please can you tell him to hurry up and get well from us and we both come and see him when he is well enough for visitors.” Chris asked, glancing worriedly over his shoulder at the squad room as he heard Sarge call his name.

Mike nodded distractedly as the two officers turned and hurried into the squad room, as Roberts’ and the two young officers’ words were replayed over and over in his mind, _'You see Steve, Keller is my third officer to be taken down in similar types of raids. But Steve was lucky, he made it to the hospital, my two other guys, Adam Rodriguez and Brian Stanton died at the scene._ _Someone's setting up my guys and taking them out one by one, Mike, and I don't have a clue who it is or even why.'_

_‘Benjie took it hard when Adam was killed during a big raid with the rest of the narcotics team earlier this year. Then a month later he lost Brian in the same way, and now Steve …’_

Mike turned and slowly walked towards the door, two cops killed, and Steve critically injured, all taken down during drug raids and all in the company of one officer, Steve 's new partner- Melendez.


	3. Chapter 3

Slowly cruising down Leavenworth Street, Benjie Melendez glanced down at his watch, aware that Roberts was not going to be happy that he had not returned to the station as he had been ordered to. He would deal with Roberts later, but for now he had a little bit of payback to take care of, payback for Steve. A small, grim smile graced Benjie's lips as he saw the man he was searching for.

Pulling up to the curb, he climbed out of his LTD and leaned against it as he watched Rollins walk towards him. The small-time drug dealer seemed totally oblivious to his presence as Rollins shuffled quickly along the empty street, constantly checking over his shoulder as if he was worried that he was being followed. Stepping forward as Rollins passed, Benjie roughly grabbed the smaller man's arm as he steered him across the footpath and into the garbage littered alleyway before he shoved him roughly against the door of the old derelict building that formed one wall of the alleyway. "Worried someone's looking for you, Tommy?” he growled as he moved closer, placing his hand against the door above Rollins' head as he deliberately towered over the terrified man. "Someone like me, maybe?"

"Inspector Melendez." Rollins gasped as he tried to back away from the angry Narcotics police officer a little but was stopped by the closed door behind him, "I…I heard what went down at the warehouse…"

"I'm sure you did!" Benjie snarled.

"I…I didn't know what Touman had planned, I swear. If I had have known it was some sort of a set up, I … I … would never have tipped you off." the smaller man whimpered in fear.

"I believe you, Tommy." Benjie suddenly smiled as he stepped back a step and gently began to smooth the drug dealer's ruffled shirt.

"You do?" Tommy gasped in surprise before he frowned nervously, terrified by the cop's sudden friendliness.

"Of course, I do." Benjie lightly patted the other man's cheek. "Why wouldn't I?"

The other man swallowed hard and nodded, too scared to speak or even move, as he watched Benjie chew his bottom lip for a moment. He jumped and pressed himself back against the door as the cop suddenly frowned and stared at him.

"Unless…unless Touman offered you more money to help set me and my partner up than I gave you for snitchin'." Stepping closer, he leaned down so his face was only inches away from his snitch, Benjie asked quietly, "Is that what happened, Tommy? Did Touman offer you a better deal to set up me and my partner? Maybe to get us killed?"

"No… no, Inspector Melendez," Tommy shook his head hard, desperate for the furious cop to believe him, "I swear I'm telling you the truth. I would never set you up that way. You've been too good to me. Please, you have to believe me, I never knew it was a set up…"

"You never knew…" Benjie breathed quietly as he reached behind his back and pulled out the small, unauthorized back up gun he had started carrying since Brian was killed, before shoving it beneath his snitch's chin.

"I swear, I never…" Tommy moaned in fear.

"You never knew. Yeah, yeah, you already told me that you would never help set me and Keller up for Touman."

"I swear, Inspector Melendez, I didn't set you or Inspector Keller up." Tommy choked as the gun pressed painfully into the bottom of his chin, forcing his head back against the door, making it hard to breathe as he pleaded, "I just told you what I heard on the street about the buy going down, honest…" he choked again before he managed to wheeze, "Please, you have to believe me."

"No, Tommy, that's where you are wrong," Benjie hissed coldly as his finger tightened on the trigger. "You see, I don't have to believe you at all,” he smiled as he pulled the trigger

Stepping back, he tucked his gun back into his belt behind his back while he watched the small man's body tumble to the ground, leaving a trail of blood and gore down the door. Pulling out a white handkerchief from his pocket, he swiped away some blood splatter he could feel on his face as he looked down at his snitch's body and the growing red puddle of blood that was spreading out beneath it. "That's for setting me and my partner up!" he growled softly before he turned and walked away.

o.o.o.o.o

Hearing the light tap on his door, Rudy looked up from the report he was reading as his office door opened and Mike entered, asking, "Got a minute, Rudy?"

The older man nodded and tilted his head towards the chair in front of his desk. He waited until Mike was seated before he asked cautiously, "How's Steve?"

"He's critical but stable, he took a round in the stomach." Mike paused and swallowed hard, glancing down at his fedora that he was holding in his hand as he struggled to keep his composure as he remembered hearing the details of the shooting and just how close he had come to losing Steve. Drawing a deep breath, he lightly cleared the large lump that had formed in his throat before he looked back up at Rudy and forced to continue. "He … he lost a lot of blood at the scene and they had to remove his spleen to control the bleeding, but the doc said barring any unforeseen complications, he should be good for a full recovery."

"Thank God!" Rudy breathed softly, from what little information he had been able to glean from Roberts about the shooting, he knew that Keller's condition had been very much touch and go at the scene. "Did the doctors say when he will be able to have visitors?"

"Tomorrow, they want him to rest today." Mike answered as he shifted in his seat. Watching his friend silently, Rudy waited for Mike to continue, aware that there was something more on Mike's mind. He was rewarded several heartbeats later when Mike asked softly, "Rudy, do you know anything about Steve 's new partner?"

"Benjie Melendez?" Rudy frowned.

Mike nodded.

Rudy shrugged, uncertain of what Mike wanted to know or why. "Not much, only that he has been working Narcotics for the last three years. From what I heard he's a bit of a cowboy, but he always ends up getting results, why?"

The sick feeling in Mike's gut intensified as he answered Rudy's question with another question of his own, "Did you know that Narcotics have lost two good officers in the last in the last six months, in raids similar as the raid that Steve was involved in today?"

Rudy nodded, hearing about a fallen officer was something no officer forgot, but when one heard about two officers being lost in such a short period of time, it was something that tended to stay with an officer for a long time, especially when you had your own officers under your command. Rudy had offered Roberts help with investigating the two, still unsolved, shootings but his offer had been declined. "Yeah, Rodriguez and Stanton." Looking across at Mike, his frown deepened in confusion, "But we both know that Narcotics raids can be dangerous job, Mike, and sometimes officers like Rodrigues, Stanton and Keller are injured or killed."

"I know Rudy, but what would you think if I told you that there was one Narcotics officer who was involved in each one of these raids…"

"Melendez?"

Mike nodded as the phone on Rudy's desk began to ring.

"Mike…" Rudy warned softly, realizing just where Mike was headed as he reached for the phone, snapping, "Olsen, Homicide," as he pressed it to his ear. Listening to the caller for a few seconds, he answered, "Yeah, he's here," before he placed a hand across the mouthpiece and handed across the phone to Mike, "It's Lessing, looking for you."

Nodding as he accepted the phone, Mike answered, "Stone."

Rudy waited silently as Mike listened to his young inspector before telling Lessing that he would meet him down at the car.

Handing the phone back across to his captain, Mike rose out of the chair as he quickly explained, "There's been a shooting in a small alleyway on Leavenworth."

"Go, we can finish this later." Rudy waved Mike out of the office.

o.o.o.o.o

Spotting the two Homicide officers as they entered the alleyway, Roberts softly spoke to the coroner who was inspecting the body before he hurried across to join Mike and Lee.

Mike looked at the Narcotics captain in surprise as Tom joined them, quickly introducing Lee to the Narcotics captain before he turned back to Tom, "Tom, what are you doing here?" He paused, glancing across at the bloodied body sprawled in the doorway before he looked back at Tom and asked almost cautiously, praying that he was wrong, "He's not one of your guys, is he?"

Roberts shook his head, "No, no, he's not one of mine, but he is one of Benjie's and Steve 's snitches. His name's Thomas Rollins, a small-time dealer who makes ends meet by occasionally giving us some useful bits of information." Turning and walking back towards the body with Mike as Lee headed across to join two officers who were talking to two potential witnesses, Tom continued, "It was his tip that led to this morning's raid."

Pausing to look around the scene as they reached the body, Mike frowned, "Who found the body?"

The Narcotic's captain hesitated before he answered softly, "Benjie."

Mike turned and stared at him in surprise, "Benjie Melendez? Steve 's partner?"

Tom nodded.

"But I thought you sent him back to Bryant Street."

"I did," the Narcotics captain sighed, "but Benjie decided to find Rollins to bring him in to answer a few questions about this morning's raid. But when he found him… I guess it was too late. Looks like someone is wrapping up loose ends and decided to shut Rollins up permanently before he could talk. Benjie's sitting in my car, writing out his statement while things are still fresh in his mind."

Mike nodded but said no more as he turned his attention back to the body and knelt beside the coroner. "What have we got, Bernie?"

"Gunshot wound under the chin, Mike, by the look of the entry wound I would guess it was probably from a .38. Death would have been instantaneous, not much left of the back of his head. Looks like he was killed here, and his body fell to the ground." Mike nodded his agreement as he looked up at the bloody smear that trailed down the wall as the coroner continued, "Time of death I would say was no longer than an hour ago, the body's still warm and the blood is still congealing. There is stippling and burn marks around the entry wound, but I will be able to tell you more once I get him on the table."

"Thanks Bernie," Mike smiled as he patted the coroner on the shoulder before he stood up and stared at the bullet hole in the door behind the body. Although the spent bullet had lodged in the door after passing through the victim's head, it was no longer there. Scratch marks around and in the hole left behind, instantly told Mike that shooter had taken the time after the murder to dig it out. Stepping back, Mike glanced around, not surprised to find there were no visible shell casings on the ground. Someone had taken the time to clean up after the murder.


	4. Chapter 4

Garlic! It was the faint, bitter taste of garlic in the back of his dry throat that greeted Steve as the darkness began to lift. He swallowed hard as his stomach threatened to rebel. His head felt like it was full of cotton wool, his body felt as heavy as cement and the strange sensation of something covering his mouth and nose, blowing warm moist air only made his nausea worse. This had to be the worse hangover that he had ever had, although he had no memory of even drinking. In fact, he had no memory at all at how he had even come to be in bed.

He took a deeper breath, wincing as a sharp pain lanced through his stomach as he weakly lifted his hand up to his face to remove the offending item from his face. But his attempt was foiled when a hand firmly grabbed his, preventing him from doing so and his hand was lowered back down to the bed as a soft female voice gently scolded him, "Whoa, hey, that has to stay where it is, young man, it's helping you breathe."

Forcing his heavy eyelids open, Steve found himself staring up into a blurry face hovering above his own. "Wh…?" he managed to mumble as he blinked, trying to bring the face above him into focus.

"Where are you?"

Steve nodded slowly as the nurse's face came into focus and he slowly become aware of the soft beep of a heart monitor beside his bed and the soft hiss of oxygen as it flowed to the oxygen mask on his face. In his peripheral vision he could see two IV bags hanging above the bed, their tubes snaking down towards him.

"You're in San Francisco General Hospital," the nurse told him softly as she took a syringe from the kidney tray on the table next to the bed and carefully injected the needle into one of the IV bungs, carefully depressing the plunger as she spoke, "you were shot in the stomach during some sort of a raid."

After a few seconds delay as he tried to comprehend what the nurse was telling him through the strange fuzziness of his mind, Steve nodded again as he struggled to keep his eyes open. "My… partner…" he murmured, "he…okay?"

The nurse smiled down at him and patted his arm, "Inspector Melendez is fine."

Steve shook his head in confusion, finding it hard to think. 'No, no, Melendez wasn't his partner, Mike was…'. He took a deep shuddering breath as he remembered that he was no longer Mike's partner, he was no longer in Homicide. He had transferred across to Narcotics and he was Benjie's partner now. A single tear slid from the corner of his eye and rolled down the side of his face as his eyes slid closed and the darkness slowly pulled him back into its silent and painless embrace as he remembered that Mike and he weren't even friends anymore.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Chewing the top of his pen, Benjie re- read the report he was writing about how he had gone in search of Tommy Rollins to bring him in for questioning about this morning’s raid, but instead of finding Tommy alive, he had found small snitch’s body in the alley where Tommy was known to carry out his petty drug transactions. Satisfied with what he had written about how, after finding Rollin’s body, he had followed procedure, immediately cordoned off the crime scene and radioed it in.

Hearing another car pull up near him, he looked up, just in time to see the two Homicide officers alight from their car and head into the alley. His top lip curled up into a hateful snarl as he watched Stone stroll into the crime scene like he thought that he was someone special, stopping briefly to talk to Roberts, probably to tell the captain that he was taking over the case, before kneeling to examine Rollin’s body.

He shook his head in disgust, as he looked back down at the note book he held in his hand to add the final details to his ‘report’, unable to believe that the kid and Stone had not only been partners but also had once been friends. He needed to teach the kid not to be so trusting because one day trusting the wrong person was going to get him killed.

He snorted softly as his grip on the pen tightened, Hell, he had trusted Chris and Sam to watch not only his, but also Brian’s, Adam’s and Steve ’s backs, during the raids and they had let him down and it was his own trust in Rollins not to set them up today had almost got Steve killed. And Steve had trusted Stone to not only be his partner and mentor but also his friend, but Stone had tossed the young man aside, without a second thought, after the younger man had dared to disagree with him.

Well from now on, his new motto and the motto he was going to drum into Steve was going to be - “Trust no one but each other!” and that included Stone!

After giving his ‘report’ a final cursory reading, he snapped his notebook closed, jumping in surprise as he heard a soft rap on the window beside him, a heartbeat before the car door opened and Roberts leaned inside. Handing the Narcotics’ captain the report he had just completed before the other man could even speak, Benjie cleared his throat. “Umm look, Tom, I know I disobeyed orders and I am really sorry but…”

Accepting Benjie’s closed notebook, Roberts sighed, “I know you are Benjie, and to be honest if it was my partner who was shot today, I probably would have gone looking for my snitch as well to get some answers. But you ignored my explicit orders, given to you in front of another officer, to return to the station, and we both know that I have no choice but to report your actions and bring you up on charges in front of the disciplinary board.”

“I know…” Benjie nodded.

“Also, I don’t know what issues you have with Stone over what happened between him and your partner but whatever they are, I want you to put them behind you. I am handing this case over to Stone and Homicide and I expect you co-operate fully and to fill him in on the case that you and Steve have been working on-”

“But-” Benjie began to protest.

“No buts, just do it!” Roberts ordered, the tone of his voice instantly warned Benjie that the older man was in no mood for any arguments.

“Okay, Cap,” Benjie nodded reluctantly.

Placing his hand on the back of his inspector’s shoulder as Benjie climbed out of the car, the tone of Roberts’ voice softened, “Look Benjie, I know you want to find the son of the bitches who are responsible for setting us up, I do as well. But we need help to get the bastards and Stone’s the best man I know to do the job.”

Casting a quick glance over his shoulder at Stone who was studying the bullet hole in the door before looking down to search for any spent shells, Benjie slid his hand into his pocket, his fingers curling around the bullet and casing hidden there as he turned back to Robert and agreed, “You’re right, Tom, I promise that I will try and play nice with Stone.”

“Good man!” Roberts smiled with relief as he patted Benjie’s shoulder, “Now get your ass back to the station and get that report typed out. Stone is going to want to see it as soon as he’s finished here.”

Benjie gave a single, curt nod before he turned and headed back to his car.


	5. Chapter 5

“Over the last six months, Narcotics have had three raids that turned bad. Each raid involved different suspects. And each time Narcotics received tips before the raids. And each time the suspects managed to escape afterwards and after the last two raids, the two men who phoned in the tips were found dead just hours later in alleyways. Grabowski and Wilkins investigated both cases but both cases are still open.” Bill told Mike and Lee as they sat gathered around Mike’s desk, reviewing the reports and case files of the three failed and deadly drug raids carried out over the last six months that Captain Roberts had sent across from Narcotics.

Lee frowned as he looked at Bill, “Do you think that someone killed them to make sure they didn’t talk?”

“Possibly, that's what Grabowski thought but he told me all their leads led nowhere, and all their suspects had alibis.” Bill shrugged before opened the folder he was holding and pulled out three photos of old two abandoned looking warehouses and an old cabin surrounded by trees and placed them side by side on the desk in front of Mike. Removing three more photos, including Steve’s, of the three Narcotics officers who were killed or seriously injured in the raids he carefully held them in his hand as he began his report, “The first raid was a raid on a house just off Guadalupe Canyon Parkway back in January. Narcotics got an anonymous tip that a big buy was about to go down. Four narcotics officers and four uniformed guys responded to the house. They walked into an ambush.” Placing a photo of one of the Narcotic officers that he held in his hand, he placed it next to the photo of the house, as he continued softly, “Adam Rodriquez was hit in the back as soon after they arrived at the house. He bled to death while the rest of the other officers were pinned down by crossfire, unable to get him to safety. But get this, Mike, after the gunfire stopped, all the suspects had escaped.”

“Escaped?” Mike frowned.

“It appears to have been a hit and run ambush.” Bill sighed.

“Sounds like it was well planned and well set-up.” Lee breathed softly as he stared up at the two photographs, “And they had an escape route already planned.”

“Or maybe someone let them escape.” Mike frowned.

Bill nodded as he pointed to a photo of an abandoned warehouse to the second photo of a building on the desk before he placed the photo of the second narcotic’s officer who had lost his life in the failed raid. “Then a month later, another tip off, another set-up and another Narcotic officer murdered. Brian Stanton was killed in a raid in a warehouse down on the docks after he received a tip-off from one of his snitches about a possible drug sale going down. He was shot after entering the warehouse-”

“And he bled to death in my arms before the ambulance got there.”

Mike looked up in surprise as Benje Melendez entered his office and stopped behind the chair that Lee was sitting on as he stared at the photos on the desk.

“And then the same thing almost happened again today after I received a credible tip from Tommy Rollin, one of my most reliable snitches or so I thought, that a drug dealer we had been chasing for the last three weeks was about to make a huge drug sale in the old fishery warehouse down on the docks- ” Benje told them as he reached down and removed Steve’s photo from Bill’s hand.

“Only the tip was another set up and Steve was hit as he went through the front door.” Mike finished for him.

Benje swallowed hard as he placed Steve’s photo down on the third photo of the abandoned warehouse where Steve had been shot just a few hours earlier before he looked across at Mike and nodded. “Yeah. And just like the other two raids, the bastards managed to get away afterwards.”

The pain, guilt and the responsibility for Steve’s shooting was that Benje was feeling was evident in his eyes before the expression on his face hardened as Mike turned and quickly introduced him to Bill and Lee. “Bill, Lee, this is Inspector Benje Melendez, Steve’s partner from Narcotics.”

Bill smiled warmly and reached his hand out to shake Benje’s, “Hi Benje, I understand that we owe you a very big thank you for saving Steve’s life this morning. I’m Bill Tanner,” Tilting his head towards Lee, he added, “And this is Lee-”

Ignoring Bill’s offered hand, Benje snapped, “I know who you are!” as he turned back to Mike. “Here is my written report that you requested about me finding Rollings’ body this afternoon,” he grunted as he thrust the manila folder, he was holding in his hand, at Mike as he snarled, “Is there anything else, _Lieutenant_ , because if there’s not,” His eyes drifted to the photos of his three friends lined up on Mike’s desk before he looked up and glared at Mike., “I would like to get back to the streets and catch the bastards who are setting us up and trying to take us out one at a time.”

Accepting the neatly typed report that Benjie silently handed him, Mike looked up at the angry young inspector who stood on the other side of his desk glaring right back at him. It was obvious to Mike that the Vice officer resented having to co-operate with him. Deciding to ignore Melendez’s insolent behavior for now, Mike removed his glasses and placed them on top of the typed report that Benjie had just given him as he quietly ordered Benjie to sit down. He waited until the officer slumped down on the chair in front of him before he said softly, “Look, Son, I don’t know what your problem is but whatever it is, we can deal with it later. But what I do know is we both want the same thing and that is to find men who are responsible for shooting and almost killing Steve today and the murder of two other damn good Narcotics officers. But to do that we are going to need to work together. So, for now, I have had you reassigned to temporarily to Homicide.” He saw Benje freeze, stiffening at the news of the reassignment as he stared at Mike in disbelief. Mike smiled and added, “I’m sure that we are going to get along. So, now we have got that sorted, shall we get back to work and catch these bastards before they murder anymore good cops. So, let’s start with you telling us everything you can about the raids.”


End file.
